Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-05-28
" THOSE WHO DO NOT WORK,
NEITHER SHALL THEY EAT"
The Kind of Men who Achieved lnde.
pendence From Great Britain
will Sweep Away Deepen.
dence on Capitalists.
Brotherhood.
BY DIR. A. DOUAI.

is oocldliSHi CotH l'dtlDic Will hHle-
rican Institutions? This question
is, from our point of view, about as
ridiculous as the other question !:
Is every American institution per-
fection itself?
The natural law of development is
not confined to the Old World; it
enforces itself IN the New World
with equal certainty. American in
stltutions are not. as a rule, of Ame-
rican make, but of general evolution.
Modern democracy and republican,
ism originated in the Switzerland
and in the Netherlands of the Mid
die Age; there the Pilgrim Fathers
became acquainted with them and
imported them into the English
colonies. American law is essential
ly English law, and in it's best feat
ures very old Germanic law; Ame-
rican religions and churches are of
European origin. American in
dustry has, favored by unison of
lucky circumstances, attained a
higher development than the Europe
an; but all it's beginnings were of
foreign growth. And the children
of industry in it's capitalistc form,
monopoly and class rule, enormous
opposites of riches and poverty, are
here already as fully domciled as in
old Europe.
It is an assertion often heard,
nowadays, that Americans will never
adopt that foreign product, Social
Democracy. Yet they adopted all
the conditions under which alone it
can exist, the private property III
land and in natural endowments of
land, usnry, privileges of education,
and private property in discoveries
and inventions. viii these condi-
tions here produce different effects
from those in the Old World? But
We see already the same effects there
of here as over there. Our institu-
tions have not prevented them, on
the contrary, they have stimulated
them into a faster growth than al
most anywhere. Within quarter
of century New England which be-
fore knew neither milliOnairism nor
beggary, has seen them arising in
wonderful proportion. Where is
now the glorious independence of the
sturdy yeomanry of New England,
the thrift, of her enterprlzing
traders, commercial firms and the
pride of her workers with hand and
mind? Alas, the capital of New
England yet gathers rich harvests of
interest and dividends from invest
ments in Western lands where it
sucks the life blood of millions of
poor farmers; from Investments in
railroads all over the continent where
it's speculates in the impoverlshment
of producers and consumers, and
from other investments. But the
soil of New England is impoverished,
it working forces are so likewise,
and its markets for industrial pro-
ducts are dwindling rapidly.
Ave, their very markets which.
formerly, where to be found all over
the globe, are now monopolized by
other nations to great and a growing
extent. And that is the danger.
All over the globe the markets for
industrial products are narrowing
down by an immense competition.
and what little we may yet sell, is
sold at lower rate of profit. Our
raw materials and food products are
exported in immense quantities and
sold in Europe at lower prices than
our own laborers can buy them at,
while our farmers must be content
with the scantiest livelihood, and
leave in the hands of railroad mon
epolists, New England usurers and
land spectators all their clear profit
and ultimately their very farms